U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a high-stakes diplomatic and economic tour of the Gulf, beginning in Saudi Arabia with a clear focus: trillions of dollars in investment deals, not security issues. Landing in Riyadh on Tuesday, Trump was greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) with a show of unity, while flanked by a delegation of top American business leaders, including Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

The visit coincides with the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, where Trump is lobbying for at least $1 trillion in investments from Gulf oil giants. Saudi Arabia has already pledged $600 billion. Major financial figures like BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Blackstone’s Stephen A. Schwarzman were present at the event, signaling deep economic interest.

MbS used the opportunity to showcase Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia's ambitious economic diversification plan that includes “Giga-projects” such as NEOM, a futuristic city envisioned as the size of Belgium. Despite some scaling back due to falling oil prices and rising costs, the kingdom continues to seek global partnerships for transformation.

While Trump’s itinerary includes stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, his decision to skip Israel has raised eyebrows, especially amid frustration in Washington over the ongoing Gaza conflict. Israeli officials, though publicly composed, are privately concerned about their status within Trump's foreign policy agenda.

Trump may also travel to Turkey for possible talks on the Russia-Ukraine war, though participation from Russian President Vladimir Putin remains uncertain. Meanwhile, backchannel negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials in Oman continue as tensions over Iran’s nuclear program persist. Trump has warned of military action if diplomacy fails.

In addition to economic diplomacy, Trump is expected to propose a new $100 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia and push forward with expanding the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states brokered during his first term.

Trump’s second international trip since returning to office reflects a renewed emphasis on deal-making diplomacy, with oil, investment, and power politics at the heart of his Middle East strategy.